6 months into 12 months sky tv contract, options?

caz246

I moved 6 months ago, cancelled virgin in my previous home and got sky in new place. Got 50% friends & family discount, so pay around £45 for sports, movie & entertainment package. Also got multiroom (not a recordable box). Had trouble getting phone line installed so cancelled that and get phone rental and broadband through virgin. Pay around £35 a month for this.

I am trying to reduce our monthly outgoings and feel our sky tv is a big expense that we don't really benefit from. There is rarely anything decent on we want to watch (usually just watch soaps etc), partner watches the sports when he gets a chance but not enough to justify the expense. We rarely record anything.

I know we can't cancel right now as we're only 6 months into the 12 month contract. Does anyone have any suggestions what we could do? Can I change the package during this 12 months? I feel a freeview box would probably do us, or get the complete package with virgin as I used to pay around £40 per month for TV (no sports) net and phone. Obviously this wouldn't be an option uintil our 12 months is up but looking for ways to reduce our costs in the meantime.

Buzby

A card with an active subscription is valuable to ms. Ex-pats, who will happily pay any balance of the remaining period. Try just get Sky to marry the new card to their old box. You then arrange to cancel he service(s) on the relevant date. You may also find someone local who only wants a 6 month tie in. Ask around!

back_against_the_wall

Depends really on what you signed up for in the first place. £45 per month is an awful lot just for the sports, movie and entertainment package. I suggest you phone Sky contracts on 08442 414 414 and ask if you have any options to reduce your monthly subscription to the minimum available up to the end of your contract. Then tell them you wish to cancel your subscription at the end of your contract period. They will try to persuade you to stay with them but just ignore that. In my humble opinion most of the content on Sky is recycled American rubbish, interspersed with commercial breaks every 10 minutes. Also, the equipment provided by Sky, ie the Sky box, is so full of bugs and hardware/software problems that it is virtually unusable. I was with the full Sky HD service for years, paying £60 a month, and encountered so many problems with the equipment, like the picture breaking up after about 30 minutes of viewing, giving the dreaded "no signal being received from the satellite" message, and setting the box to record a programme only to find later a "failed" recording message, with no explanation for the failure, that I cancelled my subscription earlier this year. Despite my contract period being well and truly over they still claimed I owed them £30 for not giving them adequate notice and when I refused to pay referred this to a debt collection agency! This after I had been paying them £60 a month for years by direct debit. Now, they are phoning me every day and sending me letters begging me to rejoin. I would not touch Sky with a barge pole ever again. Just my opinion you understand. Others may love their Sky service to bits and they are welcome to it.

plane_boy2000

Just canceled my sky package. As you say, lots of rubbish, a few good bits, but not enough to justify the price being paid.

They offered me a small discount to stay, but it was no where near enough to persuade me.